1. Field of the Invention
The subject disclosure relates to storage systems for auto-injection devices, and more particularly to storage systems having fixed locations and capable of dispensing auto-injection devices.
2. Background of the Related Art
Many individuals are highly allergic to commonly encountered substances. Examples of common substances which are also common allergens include peanuts, milk, shellfish, latex, and venom from bee stings. Because these and other sources of allergy are prevalent in everyday life, one who is allergic to such a substance cannot predict when they may come in contact with it and have an allergic reaction. When reactions do occur, they can be severe (a condition called “anaphylaxis”); without immediate treatment, anaphylaxis is potentially life-threatening. As a result, many people with known allergies must be continuously ready to treat a reaction.
In order to treat anaphylaxis, many allergy sufferers utilize a device that allows one to quickly administer an appropriate medication, such as epinephrine. These devices are called “auto-injection devices” or “auto-injectors”, and are exemplified by the injector sold by DEY L.P. under the registered trademark EpiPen. Auto-injection devices generally contain a single dose of epinephrine and include a retractable needle for quickly injecting the medication intramuscularly. In many cases, allergy sufferers carry an auto-injection device with them at all times.
There are several difficulties associated with the process of constantly carrying an auto-injection device. First, because auto-injection devices include an injection needle and various movable parts, they are relatively fragile and in need of protection from mechanical forces. Second, users must guard against exposing epinephrine to temperature extremes, which can cause it to deteriorate. Third, constantly carrying epinephrine can increase its exposure to UV light, to which it is sensitive. Specifically, epinephrine will oxidize under UV light, turning brown in the process and becoming ineffective. For this reason, most auto-injection devices contain a window through which the color of the contained epinephrine can be visually inspected.
In response to the above issues, several protective cases have been developed for carrying an auto-injection device while shielding it from both mechanical forces and UV radiation. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,362 to Penney and U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,827 to Odom. Both disclosures teach a case that surrounds and completely encloses an auto-injection device, protecting the device from damage and completely shielding it from light. Also, both types of cases are of appropriate size to be easily carried by a user, for example, in a typical pants pocket.
While the prior art protective cases for auto-injection devices, as illustrated by Odom and Penney, have alleviated some of the problems associated with the process of constantly carrying such a device, other difficulties persist. For example, because the prior art protective cases are relatively small and meant to travel with the device, they can be easily misplaced. In places visited regularly, such as a home or office, such cases are often stored out of view, in pockets or drawers, making them easily forgotten when traveling and difficult to locate in times of urgent need. This latter issue is highlighted in situations where the device user, who is often most capable of locating the device, is suffering an anaphylactic reaction and unable either to self-medicate or to describe the device location. Aside from these situations, the typical process by which one carries an auto-injector in anticipation of treating a reaction to a known allergy is useless in cases where the allergy is unknown.
Aside from the above, special problems are encountered when using an auto-injection device in connection with an allergy-suffering child. While many allergy sufferers carry and use auto-injection devices themselves, young children are not capable of such self-medication. Older children, while potentially capable of operating an auto-injector, are likely to damage, misuse, lose, or forget to carry the device. For these reasons, auto-injection devices that are being used to treat child allergies are typically carried by an adult “administrator” (e.g. a parent, teacher, camp counselor, etc.). This practice eliminates issues associated with children carrying auto-injectors; however, it also means that the auto-injection device is not kept immediately with the allergy sufferer, increasing the likelihood that an allergic reaction will occur outside the presence of the device. There is also a risk of forgetting to take an auto-injector when leaving a house. Further, Even at home, school, day care center, camp or the like, an attending adult may be unable to find an auto-injection device. These issues are not addressed by the prior art protective cases.
The above problems can be avoided by creating a storage system for auto-injection devices that holds the devices at a location where anaphylaxis is more likely to occur or where an allergy sufferer is frequently found. Such a system could be used in place of, or in addition to, having each individual sufferer carry a device everywhere with him/her, and would hold devices ready at critical locations, such as a home or office, restaurants, malls, and schools. Ideally, such a storage system would maintain the device in a fixed location and in a manner that makes the device highly visible and easily accessible. However, the accessibility of the storage system would be balanced by an ability to protect the device from damage and/or improper use; this balance becomes critical in cases where an auto-injection device is stored in the presence of children. Aside from the above features, the ideal storage system would also shield the device from exposure to damaging UV light.
The above-described storage system would allow an auto-injection device to be quickly located and accessed in times of need, and would avoid many of the problems associated with carrying individual devices. Further, such a system would facilitate quick treatment even in cases where the allergy was unknown before reaction. In addition, having a storage system that allows the auto-injection device to be visible has several advantages, including allowing visual inspection of the contained epinephrine and reminding users to carry an auto-injection device when traveling. This feature is important because epinephrine's sensitivity to temperature makes storage in a car problematic. However, despite all of these advantages, no storage system like the one proposed exists in the prior art.